Starching-machine.



,- m EL,

Patented May 2|, |901.

' /N VEN-ral( F.'W. CULLiEH.

STARCHING MACHINE.

(Applxcatxon led July 9 1900 hm P mmxmw Ev NE@ (No Model.)

W/ TAM-55:5

UNITED STATES? FFICE.

` ATsNT STARCHlNG-VIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,497, dated May 21, 1901.

Application led July 9, 1900. Serial No. 22,910. `(No model.)

To all whom, it nfl/wy concern: A

Beit known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM COLLIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of VVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starching-Machines, of which the followin g,together with the accompanying drawings, is a speciiication sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of Inachines employed for starching collars, cuffs, and other articles of apparel; and one object of my present invention is to enhance the efciency of the starch-applying mechanism and to attain more perfect starching results; also, to provide in a starching-machine a presser-bed comprising a flexible but comparatively firm resistance su rface or body for opposing pressure against the rubbing-in devices.

Another object is to combine and operate the group or series of rubbing-in rollers with the resistance surface or bed in a manner to aiford a peculiar ease-olf and'repressnre effect in the reciprocating action thereof.

Minor objects and features of my invention are disclosed in the following detailed description, the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the nature of my invention as embodied in an operative machine.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 2`is a half-plan View, omitting some of the upper portions the more clearly to show the underlying portions. Fig. 3 shows, by plan and longitudinal section, the details of construction for the starching presser-bed. Fig. 4 is a dia-gram illustrating the motion of the rubbing-in-roller group. Fig. 5 is a plan detail of one of the wiping-roll hangers; Fig. b', a detail of the shaft and oscillating device for actuating the bearing-frame of the rubbing-in rollers, and Fig. '7 shows the manner in which the adj ust-able roll-bearin g boxes are retained in the ratcheted frame.

The part marked A on the drawings represents the tank or starch-receptacle of suitable form and provided with a j acket-space d, into which hot Water may be iiowed for heating the starch in well-known manner.

B and B indicate elevatable or hinged frames adapted for supporting the operating parts. The two opposite side portions of the respective frames are made of similar form and are rigidly united by stay-rods b and b', extending transversely and having their ends suitably fixed to said side portions. Said fram es are hinged by means of horizontal pivots or studs at the end of their side portions, which pivots seat in suitable bearing-ears iixed upon the sides or edges ofthe tank-frame and in a manner to swing upward, one, B, swinging toward the front and the other, B', toward the rear, and are also removable with the parts carried thereon from the starch-receptacle for cleaning, dac.

C indicates an upper endless carrier-apron made of porous material or open woven cloth fabric, which is supported and guided by rollers l, 2, 3, and 4, disposed as shown and having their end journals mounted to turn in bearings in frame B, while D indicates a lower endless carrierapron of similar material, which is supported and guided by rollers 5, 6, '7, and 8, disposed as illustrated and journaled to turn in bearings in the frame B. The guide-rollers 6 and 7 are near the bottom of the starch-receptacle and the rollers 5 and S are above the top of the starch-receptacle, and said rollers 5 and 8 also serve for guiding the upper carrier-apron at the positions Where the two porous aprons become adjacent to and recede from each other. The rollers l and 5 serve as initial feed-rollers and rollers 4 and 8 as delivery-rollers.

F indicates my improved overlying endless traveling presser-bed, and G a series of rubbing-in rollers disposed beneath said bed and upwardly working in conjunction therewith in a manner more fully hereinafterdescribed. This endless bed E is arranged about a pair of rollers l0 and 1l, that are journaled in hangers on the frame B, and normally occupies a position within the tank A, as shown, its lower stretch being above the rubbing-in rolls and bearing downward thereon by its gravity. One of these carrying rollers is made the operator and is driven by a suitable train of gears and pinions at l2 from the power-pulley 13. .The bed F, together with IOO the aprons C and'D, is moved by rotation of the roller 10, theaprons taking their motion from the bed. This traveling resistance-bed F, which is a feature of my invention, is in body composed of a series of iieXibly-connected sections, )referably of brass or metal plates 15, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) disposed in laterallyadjacent series,with their front and rear ed ges linked or hinged together by transverselydisposed pivot-rods 16, that extend across the series, thereby forming a resisting member that is substantially firm and stiff transversely, but flexible in longitudinal direction to work easily around the carrying-rollers 10 and ll, upon which it is mounted, and upon the rubbing-i n-roll surfaces on which it bears. Upon the exterior of this bed of flexibly-connected sections I secure a ply of strong canvas 17, which may be riveted or otherwise attached along the edges thereof, and upon the exterior of the canvas there may be affixed a padding or cushion of soft porous fabric 18, such as cotton-flannel or other suitable material. This latter can be sewed to the canvas along the edges thereof.

The hinge pivot-rods 16, which correspond in length to the full width of the bed, pass through hinging-eyes on 'the laterally-adjacent plate-sections and have their ends upset or secured in the outer sections, as at h, Fig. 3.

The rubbing-in rollers consist of a group of ive (more or less) rolls G, journaled or mounted near each other in arched end bearing frames or bars m, which latter are supported each by a pair of upwardly-projecting rocking support-arms or oscillatable strut-bars I and J, having their lower ends pivotally connected with and supported upon the lower portion of the hanging frame B' at n and n near the bottom and within the interior of the starch-receptacle, the upper ends of said support-arms being movable back and forth together with the bearing-frames m and rollers G, supported thereon. The group of rolls Gis reciprocated bya connecting-arm 21, that depends from a rocker or journal 22, mounted in the frame B' and actuated. by a swinging forked arm 23, fixed thereon and engaging with a crank or wrist pin 24, fixed in a faceplate upon the end of the operating-shaft 25, mounted in a bearing 26 at the side of the receptacle. Oscillative movement isimparted to the arm 2l and gang of rollers G as the shaft 25 is rotated by a belt on the drive-pulley 13.

The upper and the lower carrier-aprons C and D pass contiguous to each other from the roller 5, beneath the endless traveling bed F and its rolls lO and l1, to the roll 8, the said aprons lying against the under side of the lower stretch of the bed-belt. The rubbingin rolls work against the under surface of the upper stretch of the lower apron, bearing upward against the non-rigid resistance of the bed of flexibly connected or linked sections, which bed in its action normally pulls down- Ward upon the gang of rolls G with an eicient but not solid resistance.

The guide-rollers and 7 are journaled at the opposite ends of the bottom bar for directing the lower carrier-apron along the bottom of the starch-receptacle.

The support-arms I and .I are best pivoted to the hanging frame B at some distance apart .and their top ends pivoted to the end bars m or roll-bearing frame at a somewhat greater dist-ance apart, said support-arms being thus differentially inclined or disposed radial to a center common to the lines of the support-arms and to the arc of the centers or axes of the grouped rubbing-in rollers when the group is ata central position of its reciprocating movement. By means of these pivoted upwardly-standing support-arms I and J, which are preferably arranged to swing in oppositely-inclined arcs, as illustrated in diagram Fig. Li, a movement is imparted to the i grou p of rollers on a line that nearly approximates to the circular arc of the group, but

'giving a peculiar rocking action, due to the differential in position of the pairs of pivotcenters, that produces a rising and easing-off effect at the front and rear of the group in relation to the bed or resistance-surface as the group of rubbing-in rollers approaches or recedes from the limits of its oscillation, the

ypoint e dropping and the pointt rising at the forward oscillation and the point t dropping and the point e rising at the back-ward oscillation relatively to the face of the under stretch of the bed. By this movement a continual alternating ease-off and approachment or repressure is exerted against the traveling bed F, aprons C and D, and articles carried thereby, which thoroughly works the starch into the fabrics. By this construction and manner of supporting the rubbing-in rollers the pivoting and oscillative supports for said rollers are, together with the rollers, disposed in compact and convenient relation wholly within the tank or starch-receptacle, the only oscillating parts not included within the tank and below the normal'top level of the starch being the pendent swinging arms carried by the journal 22, which is at stationary position on the frame, for connecting the internal with the external operating parts.

K indicates the wiper-roll, which I arrange with its journals supportedr in the ends of movable arms 30, one of which is shown in Fig. 5, which arms are mounted at their other ends to swing upon a rod or shaft 31, that extends across the frame B parallelwith the roll. The rod is rotatively adjustable in the frame and is provided with asuitable handle 32, and a set-screw 33 in the frame B is provided for securing it at adjusted position.

Coiled IIO springs 36 are arranged on the rod with their i leasing the fastening 33 andturning the rod 31 the wiper-roll can be-regulated for giving greater or less wiping pressure on the roll and apron or be turned up away from the apron quickly and conveniently.

In the operation the articles are fed in from the table 40 between the aprons at the rolls l and 5 and pass under the presser-bed E and then-ce up to the rolls 4 and 8 for delivery at the table 41. The traveling bed carries starch down at the roll lO and between the bed and aprons, and the upwardly-acting .reciprocating rubbing-in rollers,together with the pressure and flexure of the traveling bed, work the starch into the fabrics in a very rapid, thorough, and efficient manner.

The bearing-boxes 14 for the journals of roll 4 are provided with suitable handles 44 and are adjustable in longitudinal openings in the frame B on a series of ratchet-teeth 45, the boX being provided with an angle or detent that drops behind a ratchet-tooth and can be released therefrom by raising the front edge of the boX, so that said roll can be readily moved for slackening and tightening the apron C.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In astarching machine, the combination, with the pair of carrier-aprons; of a traveling presser or resist-ance bed, the body of which is composed of an assemblage of small ilexibly-connected plates, of sheet-brass or noni'leXible material, having hinging-eyes formed on their edges and pivotally united in series, a pair of cylindrical carrier-rollers for supporting and traveling said bed together with saidcarrier-aprons, and rubbing-in devices acting against said bed and aprons, substantially as set forth.

2. In a starching-machinc, in combination with the rubbing -in devices, and carrieraprons; a presser-bed the body of which is composed of laterally-adjacent series of rows of interlinked non-flexible plate-sections, said plate-sections flexibly connected longitudinally by hinge pivot-rods the pivot-rods individually extending transversely across the series of sections to the full width of the presser-bed body.

3. In a starching-machine, in combination with reciprocative rubbing-in rolls and two adjacently-moving carrier-aprons; the endless movable bed composed of a series of laterally-ad jacent rows of linked or flexibly-connected small plates of non-iieXible material, and a porous soft-fabric padding completely covering the working face of said bed and secured thereto, substantially as set forth.

4. In a starching-machine, the endless travcling bed composed of iieXibly-connected sections of siiif material, a canvas or flexible facing-ply, and a porous surface padding; in combination with rolls for guiding and operating said bed, a group of rubbing-in rolls acting against said bed, the upper and lower carrier-aprons that adjacently pass between said bed and group of rubbing-in rolls, and means for imparting motion to said rolls.

5. The combination, with the carrier-aprons and a traveling longitudinally-flexible bed; of a group or series of rubbing -in rollers mounted to turn in a reciprocalabie bearingframe, said frame supported on pairs of pivoted upwardly-projecting rocking supports, and means for imparting reciprocaiive operation to said bearing-frame and rollers, substantially as set forth.

6. In a starching-machine, in combination, with the porous carrier-aprons, a traveling longitudinally-flexible presser-bed, and support-rolls for said bed; of a group of rubbing-in rollers mounted to turn in an arched bearing-frame with their axles on the line of a circular arc, said bearing-frame supported on pairs of pivoted upwardly-projecting rocking support arms or struts disposed radial to a center common to the lines of the supportarms and to the arc of the centers or axles of said rubbing-in rollers when at central position of their reciprocal movement, as set forth; whereby an ease-olf and repressure effect relatively to the bed is produced.

7. In astarching-machine, the combination with the starch-receptacle, traveling bed and carrier-aprons, of the gang of rubbing-in rolls mounted in a gang-frame having an upwardlyarched reciprocating motion and rocking on pivotal axes nearthe bottom within the starchreceptacle; and a rock-shaft mounted on the side frame and provided with an outside forkarm and an inside arm that respectively connect with a crank-pin on the driving powershaft and said gang-frame, for reciprocating the gang of rubbing-in rolls.

8. In a starching-machine, the combination with a starch-receptacle,of the endless traveling bed, the bed supporting and driving rolls, the upper and lower endless carrier-aprons both passing adjacent to each other along the under stretch of said traveling bed, the reciprocating group of rubbing-in rollers disposed underneath the lower stretch of said bed, and adjacent stretches of the aprons, the stretch of bed and aprons resting downward upon said rollers, and means for reciprocating said group of rubbing-in rollers, substantially as set forth.

9. In a starching-machine, the combination, of a starch-receptacle, the removable frames B and B hinged thereon, an endless traveling bed, two rolls for supporting said bed jou'rnaled in the frame B, the upper and lower carrier --aprons, guide-rolls for said aprons, said carrier-aprons passing contiguous from the feed-roll to the delivery-roll and running beneath the lower stretch of said traveling bed, and receiving their motion therefrom for advancing the carrier-aprons, a group of rubbing-in rollers, the bearings for said rollers supported on the frame B by swinging upwardly-projecting arms, the operating-shaft provid ed with a gear and crankpin, a gear-train connecting said shaft with one of said bed-supporting rolls, an oscillating shaft journaled in frame B and provided IIO for downwardly pressing the roll, means for rotatively adjusting saidv rod for regulating the Wiper-roll, and means for securing said rod at adjusted position, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 7th day of July, 1900.

FREDERICK WILLIAM COLLIER.

Witnesses: A

CHAs. H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUS. 

